Finance

Woodside Energy reported its HY26 results, with operating revenue up 13% to US$7.4 billion and underlying NPAT rising 7% to US$1.3 billion. Free cash flow surged 159% to US$352 million as the average realised price climbed 20% to US$74 per barrel of oil equivalent. The company increased its interim dividend by 8% to US 57 cents per share. A $15,000 investment would buy about 470 shares at the then-prevailing price.

Amazon said it will invest an additional $1 billion over the next five years in communities where it builds data centers, directing funds to education, job training, energy affordability and resource preservation. The company is framing the move as part of a push to keep pace in artificial intelligence as electricity demand rises. A report from Schneider Electric projects U.S. electricity demand will increase by 16% by 2029, driven mainly by the spread of data centers. Grassroots opposition has blocked at least 45 data center projects across 27 states valued at $68 billion, according to Environment America.

U.S. employers added 29,000 jobs in September, far below expectations and sharply slower than August, easing inflation worries. Traders cut the implied probability of a Federal Reserve rate hike at its October meeting to less than 23% from 64% a week earlier, according to CME Group data. U.S. stocks advanced on the shift, with the S&P 500 up 0.7%, the Dow up 250 points and the Nasdaq up 1.2%. The 10-year Treasury yield dipped below 5.17%, while Brent crude swung between $98 and $103.

Pool and spa supplies retailer Leslie’s has filed for prearranged Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and said it will close 76 stores. The restructuring plan targets a reduction of about $685 million of secured debt, representing 90% of its outstanding debt. The company has secured $90 million in debtor-in-possession financing commitments and a $60 million equity financing commitment. After the restructuring, an existing lender group is expected to hold a majority ownership stake.

Alaska Airlines is set to take its long-running Seattle rivalry with Delta Air Lines into longhaul international markets, with about 92% of its planned intercontinental seats from Seattle through August 2027 overlapping Delta’s existing nonstop routes, according to a Reuters analysis of Cirium schedule data. Alaska’s cost base remains an advantage, with first-half non-fuel unit costs about 17% below the average of Delta, United and American, but its unit revenue was roughly 20% lower, limiting its cushion. Delta, for its part, has strengthened its Seattle hub position by securing preferential access to 18 gates and adding two lounges.

In its fourth-quarter update released on Oct 2, 2026, Accenture’s management projected fiscal 2027 revenue growth of 3% to 6%. The company also set an operating margin target of 15.9% to 16.1%. Accenture said it plans to invest $5B in acquisitions to support long-term growth.

The cost of insuring against a French sovereign default has risen to the highest level among major EU countries and the U.K., while the 10-year yield climbed to 4.989%, its highest since 2002. The yield premium over comparable German bonds widened to 152 basis points, the largest since the eurozone debt crisis in 2011. Investors have also focused on weak growth, a budget deficit estimated at about 5.4% of GDP, and a debt-to-GDP ratio expected to rise to 122% next year from 119% this year. The government’s latest plan has not stopped the jump in yields as investors question its credibility, according to Macquarie Group strategist Thierry Wizman.

G7 leaders issued a joint statement confirming a coordinated release of 100 million barrels of oil reserves, starting immediately and lasting four months. The plan includes a frontloaded, substantial diesel release within the first 20 days by G7 members and partner countries. The move aims to address tight fuel supplies and elevated prices.

Anthropic warns in its IPO prospectus that deteriorating relations with the U.S. government could trigger broader business disruption, even though government agency contracts account for less than 1% of annual revenue. The company says negative official perceptions of its technology or conduct could lead to revenue losses, operational disruption and reputational harm. It points to recent actions including its removal from USAi.gov and a federal procurement schedule, as well as a temporary export-control move that forced it to suspend access to newly released models.

The FAO Food Price Index rose 6.1% month on month in September, reaching a near four-year high. Sugar prices climbed to an 18-month peak, while the cereal price benchmark gained 5.1% amid weaker prospects for U.S. corn yields and disruptions to Black Sea grain shipments. Vegetable oil prices edged up 0.9% and meat prices fell 1.1%. The FAO kept its 2026 global cereal production forecast at 2.979 billion metric tonnes, down 2.1% year on year but still the second-largest crop on record.